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Miniaturization limits of ceramic UHF RFID tags

Cytomegalovirus host receptor expression in the human fetal inner ear

Fetal infection with human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) can cause sensorineural hearing loss and vestibular impairment, yet its pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aims to identify potential target cell types of hCMV in the human fetal inner ear. Viral particles use several envelope glycoproteins to enter target cells, including the pentameric complex, the trimeric complex and glycoprotein B. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) serves as the receptor in fibroblasts, neuropilin-2 (NRP2) in epithelial, endothelial and dendritic cells as well as in leukocytes. Upon binding of these glycoproteins, glycoprotein B initiates membrane fusion which is proposed to be mediated by EGFR. When and where these proteins are expressed in the fetal inner ear during development is unknown. To address this, expression patterns of PDGFRA, NRP2 and EGFR were investigated in human fetal inner ear tissue using single-nucleus RNA sequencing data (first trimester: N = 2) and immunohistochemistry (first trimester: N = 6, second trimester: N = 5). PDGFRA gene and protein expression was detected in mesenchymal cells, NRP2 protein expression in epithelial cells and endothelial cells, and EGFR gene and protein expression in both epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells. Notably, all three receptors were present in tissue from the first and second trimesters. In conclusion, hCMV host receptors PDGFRA, NRP2 and EGFR are expressed in mesenchymal, epithelial and endothelial cells within the cochlea and vestibular organs during the first and second trimesters. These cell types may serve as targets for hCMV infection of the fetal inner ear.

Carbon dot based dressing for therapy of chemically-induced cutaneous burns

Development of label-free cell tracking for discrimination of the heterogeneous mesenchymal migration

Image-based cell phenotyping is fundamental in both cell biology and medicine. As cells are dynamic systems, phenotyping based on static data is complemented by dynamic data extracted from time-dependent cell characteristics. We developed a label-free automatic tracking method for phase contrast images. We examined the possibility of using cell motility-based discrimination to identify different types of mesenchymal migration in invasive malignant cancer and non-cancer cells. These cells were cultured in plastic tissue culture vessels, using motility parameters from cell trajectories extracted with label-free tracking. Correlation analysis with these motility parameters identified characteristic parameters for cancer HT1080 fibrosarcoma and non-cancer 3T3-Swiss fibroblast cell lines. The parameter “sum of turn angles,” combined with the “frequency of turns” at shallow angles and “migration speed,” proved effective in highlighting the migration characteristics of these cells. It revealed differences in their mechanisms for generating effective propulsive forces. The requirements to characterize these differences included the spatiotemporal resolution of segmentation and tracking, capable of detecting polarity changes associated with cell morphological alterations and cell body displacement. With the segmentation and tracking method proposed here, a discrimination curve computed using quadratic discrimination analysis from the “sum of turn angles” and “frequency of turns below 30°” gave the best performance with a 94% sensitivity. Cell migration is a process related not only to cancer but also to tissue healing and growth. The proposed methodology is easy to use, enabling anyone without professional skills in image analysis, large training datasets, or special devices. It has the potential for application not only in cancer cell discrimination but also in a broad range of applications and basic research. Validating the expandability of this method to characterize cell migration, including the scheme of propulsive force generation, is an important consideration for future study.

Prediction of acoustic tinnitus suppression using resting-state EEG via explainable AI approach

Abstract Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound without an external source. Its perceptual suppression or on/off states remain poorly understood. This study investigates neural traits linked to brief acoustic tinnitus suppression (BATS) using naive resting-state EEG (closed eyes) from 102 individuals. A set of EEG features (band power, entropy, aperiodic slope and offset of the EEG spectrum, and connectivity) and standard classifiers were applied achieving consistent high accuracy across data splits: 98% for sensor and 86% for source models. The Random Forest model outperformed other classifiers by excelling in robustness and reduction of overfitting. It identified several key EEG features, most prominently alpha and gamma frequency band power. Gamma power was stronger in the left auditory network, while alpha power dominated the right hemisphere. Aperiodic features were normalized in individuals with BATS. Additionally, hyperconnected auditory-limbic networks in BATS suggest sensory gating may aid suppression. These findings demonstrate robust classification of BATS status, revealing distinct neural traits between tinnitus subpopulations. Our work emphasizes the role of neural mechanisms in predicting and managing tinnitus suppression. Moreover, it advances the understanding of effective feature selection, model choice, and validation strategies for analyzing clinical neurophysiological data in general.

Measuring metabolic energy expenditure with short duration walking tests for individuals with lower limb amputation

Introduction Metabolic assessment of prosthetic gait is useful when comparing devices, interventions, or populations. However, the standard requirement to walk continuously for six minutes or more to reach steady state (SS) is difficult for many individuals with lower limb amputation. Our goal was to assess the concurrent validity of metabolic outcomes from shorter duration walking tests with those from the standard six-minute walk, in persons with transfemoral or transtibial amputation. Methods Thirty participants (amputation: 10 transfemoral, 10 transtibial, 10 none) performed three walking tests while data were collected with a wearable metabolic system: 1) two-minute treadmill walk plus 10-minute recovery, 2) six-minute treadmill walk, and 3) overground two-minute walk test (2MWT). Three different analyses were performed to correlate SS metabolic outcomes from minutes 5-6 of the six-minute treadmill walk with: 1) total oxygen uptake from the two-minute treadmill walk, incorporating excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), 2) minute interval outcomes from minutes 1-4 of the six-minute treadmill walk, and 3) outcomes during minutes 1 and 2 of the 2MWT. Results Strong correlations were found between total oxygen uptake of the two-minute treadmill walk plus EPOC and SS oxygen uptake (Pearson r 0.86 to 0.94). Likewise, there were strong correlations between minute interval outcomes of minutes 2, 3, and 4 of the six-minute treadmill walk and SS outcomes (Pearson r 0.82 to > 0.99). Fewer significant correlations were observed when comparing 2MWT outcomes with SS outcomes (Pearson r 0.41 to 0.78). Conclusion Strong correlations between metabolic outcomes of shorter duration walking tests with SS outcomes suggest that treadmill walking tests as short as two minutes may be acceptable to compare energy expenditure between conditions in individuals with lower limb amputation for circumstances where longer duration tests would not be possible. Additionally, these shorter tests would be more similar to real-life activities and more accessible for those with lower limb amputation.

Singularity index and multifractal analysis of magnitude magnetic transforms: a new methodology to explore Au mineralization with application to Esh El Mallaha, Egypt

Abstract The primary objective of mineral exploration is to discover new mineral-rich zones within targeted regions. The fractal concentration area (C-A) and the magnetic maps are now extensively used in mineral prospecting. Unfortunately, the calculation of the reduced-to-pole (RTP) maps suffers from several drawbacks. It requires a prior knowledge of the inclination and declination of the source magnetization. It can be complicated to determine the direction of the source magnetization vector in certain conditions because of the large and significant remanent magnetization of the source if present. Furthermore, at low magnetic latitudes, the RTP computation is unstable. However, a new class of transforms known as magnitude magnetic transforms (MMTs) overcome these drawbacks. Such transforms have nonnegative distributions and exhibit significantly higher centricity with regard to the observed anomalous field. Their anomaly patterns are much less influenced by the direction of the magnetization vector than the observed total magnetic intensity. Due to these benefits, in this work, these transforms are used instead of RTP transform as a base for fractal/multifractal analysis of the magnetic signal from the Esh El Mallaha area, Eastern desert to delineate gold mineralization and hydrothermally altered and potential zones. Moreover, are used for the singularity analysis S-A in a novel integrated workflow. The results of this study show a promising approach that can be utilized globally for mineralization detection strategies.

Advancing methods for comparative urban research: A city-centric protocol and longitudinal dataset for US metropolitan statistical areas

Comparative urban research in the USA has an unacknowledged data and methodological problem at the metropolitan scale, rooted in geographic and definitional boundary changes of urban areas across time. In this article, we introduce a new spatial dataset, decision criteria, and methodological protocol for longitudinal and comparative research with US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)—known as ‘metros’—in a way that centers a ‘city-centric’ approach to comparison while significantly reducing spatial error and bias. First, we review gaps and limitations of existing approaches and identify three major but previously unacknowledged sources of error, including a new source of bias we call ‘spanning error.’ Next, we explain our methodological protocol and decision criteria, which are guided by the twin aims of reducing spatial bias and ensuring metropolitan consistency over time. We then introduce our improved dataset, which covers the 50 largest MSAs from 1980-2020. We argue that by centering the urban area as the fundamental unit of analysis—a city-centric approach—our methodology and dataset provides robust and dynamic metropolitan definitions that advance comparative urban studies while improving precision and accuracy in urban data analysis across different time scales. We discuss broader applications of our methodology and identify advantages and limitations over existing techniques, including potential applications of this work in policy, planning, and future research.

Presence of gluten and soy derived excipients in medicinal products and their implications on allergen safety and labeling

Abstract Gluten and soy allergies are significant health concerns, particularly in individuals with celiac disease or soy sensitivity. While dietary sources of these allergens are well-studied, their presence in medicinal products remains under-explored. This study assessed the prevalence of gluten and soy-derived excipients in 308 medicinal products authorized for marketing in Portugal. A systematic search of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) database was conducted for 108 analgesics and antipyretics containing paracetamol, 85 NSAIDs containing ibuprofen, and 115 antiasthmatic and bronchodilator medicinal products. The study found significant associations between pharmacotherapeutic groups and the presence of these allergens (p < 0.001). Gluten was more prevalent in the group of analgesics and antipyretics (44.4%) than in NSAIDs (8.2%), whereas soy-derived excipients were more frequent in NSAIDs (14%) than in analgesics and antipyretics (6.5%). No excipients containing gluten or soy were identified in antiasthmatic and bronchodilator medicinal products. In analgesics and antipyretics, 51.2% of solid oral dosage forms and 40% of liquid oral formulations contained gluten. Within the NSAIDs group, gluten was mainly present in liquid oral dosage forms (26.7%). Soy-derived excipients were found in 30% of liquid oral formulations and in 33.3% of rectal dosage forms of analgesics and antipyretics. In the NSAIDs group, soy was more prevalent in liquid oral formulations (26.7%). These findings highlight the need for clearer labeling of allergens in medicinal products and underscore the importance of vigilance for patients with gluten or soy allergies. Further research is required to address gaps in allergen disclosure by pharmaceutical manufacturers and to promote safer medicinal product use for sensitive populations. Enhanced awareness among healthcare providers and patients is essential to mitigate the risk of allergic reactions associated with hidden excipients in medicinal products.

UFM: Unified feature matching pre-training with multi-modal image assistants

Image feature matching, a foundational task in computer vision, remains challenging for multimodal image applications, often necessitating intricate training on specific datasets. In this paper, we introduce a Unified Feature Matching pre-trained model (UFM) designed to address feature matching challenges across a wide spectrum of modal images. We present Multimodal Image Assistant (MIA) transformers, finely tunable structures adept at handling diverse feature matching problems. UFM exhibits versatility in addressing both feature matching tasks within the same modal and those across different modals. Additionally, we propose a data augmentation algorithm and a staged pre-training strategy to effectively tackle challenges arising from sparse data in specific modals and imbalanced modal datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that UFM excels in generalization and performance across various feature matching tasks. The code will be released at: https://github.com/LiaoYun0x0/UFM.

Factors affecting prognosis in patients with locally advanced and advanced esophageal cancer receiving definitive radiotherapy in plateau regions

Aerobic exercise and brain structure among military service members and Veterans with varying histories of mild traumatic brain injury: A LIMBIC-CENC exploratory investigation

Objectives To explore associations of recent moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (MVAE) participation and lifetime mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history with measures of brain gray matter volumes among military service members and Veterans (SMVs). Methods Participants (n = 1,340; aged 41.3 ± 10.3 years; 13% female) were SMV’s who participated in the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Prospective Longitudinal Study (LIMBIC-CENC PLS). MVAE participation was self-reported via the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and categorized according to current MVAE recommendations (Inactive, Insufficiently Active, Active, and Highly Active). Lifetime mTBI history was queried via validated structured interview and categorized as 0 mTBI, 1-2 mTBIs, 3 + mTBIs. Structural MRI (T1- and T2-weighted images) were used to measure gray matter volumetrics: ventricle-to-brain ratio (VBR); bilateral volumes of the frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, cingulate, hippocampus, amygdala, and thalamus regions. Multivariable linear regression models were fit to test associations of MVAE participation, mTBI history, and their interaction on each of the volumetric outcomes while controlling for age, sex, education attainment, and PTSD symptoms. Effects were considered statistically significant if the corresponding unstandardized beta (B) and 95% CI did not include 0. Results Regarding main effects, participants in the Inactive MVAE group had significantly larger VBR values (worse outcome) than those in the Insufficiently Active group (B[95%CI] = -0.137[-0.260, -0.014]). Interaction effects showed participants with no lifetime mTBIs in the Highly Active group had larger VBR values (worse outcome) when compared to those in the Inactive and Insufficiently Active groups. SMVs with 3 + lifetime mTBIs who were Highly Active also had smaller VBR values (better outcome) when compared to Highly Active SMVs with fewer lifetime mTBIs. There were no other statistically significant differences for MVAE participation, mTBI history, or their interactions. Conclusions History of one or more lifetime mTBIs was not associated with measures of brain gray matter volumes, suggesting that declines in structural brain health are not expected for the most SMVs with mTBI(s). Although MVAE may benefit brain health, a positive association between self-reported MVAE participation and gray matter volumes was not observed.

Efficacy and safety of azvudine versus nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in cancer patients with COVID-19

The perception of eye contact is associated with men’s need to belong, self-esteem, and loneliness

The present study (N =  367) investigated the association of the cone of direct gaze (CoDG; a range within which slightly averted gaze is accepted as direct gaze) width with the need to belong (NTB) and the possible further influence of NTB on self-esteem and loneliness. Results showed that: (i) men’s CoDG width predicted the NTB, self-esteem, and loneliness; (ii) men’s narrow CoDG predicted high loneliness via a high NTB and low self-esteem; (iii) a narrow CoDG was associated with low self-esteem via high loneliness only in high-NTB men. Among women, the CoDG width was not associated with the NTB, self-esteem, and loneliness. The findings are discussed considering the formation and maintenance of relationships together with gender differences.

Experimental study on failure law of damaged surrounding rock and its anchorage mechanism

Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESβL)-producing E. coli causing urinary tract infection among pregnant women and pediatric patients in public hospitals in northern Jordan

Background Urinary tract infections (UTI’s) imply the invasion and multiplication of bacteria in the individual’s urinary tract, the incidence of UTI’s is mainly determined by sex and age being the highest in pregnant females. E. coli is the most frequently encountered causative agent of UTI’s and recent data depict an increase in antimicrobial resistance. Objectives This study aims to identify the most common pathogens associated with UTI’s in pregnant women and children and to reveal the resistance patterns, and effective treatments and to detect resistance genes in E. coli. Methods This study was conducted in public-teaching Hospitals in northern Jordan during the period from the 1st of March 2024 to the 5th of April 2024. Urine samples were collected in a sterile urine container or using a special tube for pediatric samples. Each sample was cultivated on MacConkey, blood and mannitol salt agar plates, all plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 hours and identified using standard microbiological protocols. All isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to confirm all E. coli isolates by the detection of universal stress protein (uspA) gene and to detect ESβL genes TEM, SHV CTX-M. Results Eight bacterial species were identified, 75% (6/8) Gram Negative, 25% (2/8) Gram Positive). Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated species 71.4% (50/70) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 10% (7/70), Enterobacter cloacae 5.7% (4/70, Proteus mirabilis 4.3% (3/70), Enterococcus faecalis 2.9% (3/70), Acinetobacter baumannii 2.9% (3/70), Lelliottia amnigena 1.4% (1/70) and Streptococcus agalactiae 1.4% (1/70). All 50 biochemically confirmed E. coli isolates were also confirmed using uspA gene. Three resistance genes TEM, SHV and CTX-M were detected using polymerase chain reaction. Conclusion E. coli was the most frequently isolated species followed by K. pneumoniae, this result may indicate that K. pneumoniae is becoming increasingly common as an etiological agent of UTI. A high resistance toward Amoxicillin- Clavulanic Acid was found among E. coli isolates, while multiple antibiotic/drug resistance was 62%. These results highlight the need to adhere to the therapeutic guidelines in treating UTI’s and other infections and not overuse antibiotics to prevent the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Partial discharge defect recognition method of switchgear based on cloud-edge collaborative deep learning

Development of a health index for stranded marine tetrapods

This study presents the development and validation of a Health Index (HI) to assess the overall health of stranded marine tetrapods (seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals). The HI is based on parameters collected during necropsies and histopathological analyses, including body condition, systemic conditions (macroscopic and by histopathology), cutaneous injuries, organized lesions, parasitosis, lymphoid depletion, and thyroid alterations. The HI was applied to data from 6,332 marine tetrapods stranded along the Brazilian coast. Results showed that the HI effectively differentiated between animals with good, fair, and poor health, as evaluated by independent veterinary assessments. Sea turtles exhibited the lowest average HI, suggesting poorer health conditions compared to seabirds and marine mammals. The HI has proven to be a valuable tool for monitoring the health of marine tetrapod populations. Using a quantitative measure of an animal’s health enables the evaluation of spatial and temporal variations in health status and the identification of more subtle impacts on species or populations. Thus, the HI allows for an objective assessment and comparison of wildlife health, supporting conservation efforts and helping to identify potential threats.

People are poorly equipped to detect AI-powered voice clones

Abstract As generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues its ballistic trajectory, everything from text to audio, image, and video generation continues to improve at mimicking human-generated content. Through a series of perceptual studies, we report on the realism of AI-generated voices in terms of identity matching and naturalness. We find human participants cannot consistently identify recordings of AI-generated voices. Specifically, participants perceived the identity of an AI-generated voice to be the same as its real counterpart approximately $$80\%$$ of the time, and correctly identified a voice as AI generated only about $$60\%$$ of the time.

Prevalence and anatomical significance of the persistent median artery: A cadaveric study

Purpose The median artery is the initial, yet transient, vascular supply to the palm originating from the brachial artery during development. This artery generally regresses as radial and ulnar arterial supply become prominent; however, this regression does not always occur. This study seeks to illuminate the prevalence of the persistent median artery in the adult population, as well as describe the vascular consequences secondary to the presence of this artery. Methods Antebrachial and palmar dissections were performed on 56 adult cadavers (112 upper extremities). Prevalence of palmar and antebrachial-type persistent median artery were recorded separately. Arterial diameters of radial and ulnar arteries were measured and statistically examined with and without the co-presence of a persistent median artery. Results A persistent median artery was present in 43% of the upper limbs included in this study. 28% of the population were of the antebrachial-type, while 15% were of the palmar-type. The overall mean arterial diameters of the radial artery were 3.13 mm ( ± 0.57 mm; n =  52) without any persistent median artery present, compared to 3.09 mm ( ± 0.56 mm; n =  34) with persistent median artery co-presence. The mean diameters for the ulnar artery were 2.75 mm ( ± 0.53 mm; n =  53) without co-presence of persistent median artery and 2.86 mm ( ± 0.65 mm; n =  36) with co-presence. Conclusion This and other studies have demonstrated the prevalence of this persisting embryologic artery to be quite high. An understanding of the characteristics and significance of this artery in the adult population is necessary to surgeons operating on the carpal tunnel or distal antebrachium.